


Promise Me

by the_problem_with_stardust



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Don't worry, Established Relationship, M/M, No Major Character Death, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 02:10:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5809627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_problem_with_stardust/pseuds/the_problem_with_stardust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never make a promise you can’t keep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise Me

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: They postponed VIII. So I had to write something to make myself feel better.

“Are you sure you don’t need a gunner?” Maybe it’s just his imagination, but the darkness seems to magnify his voice. Finn wishes he could take the question back.

  
Poe shifts on the mattress beside him and sighs. “Finn, we talked about this. Three months ago, you were in a coma. You gotta take things slow.”

  
“But it’s a First Order base. I could have insight that might help with the mission.” It isn’t a new argument, but Poe’s departure time is approaching and Finn is starting to feel desperate.

  
“Everything is going to be fine.” Poe’s hand finds his, unclenching his fingers from the blanket and lacing them with his own. “You worry too much.”

  
Finn can hear the soft smile in his voice. “Does it have to be you?”

  
“I’m the only one who’s flown a TIE fighter. The resistance needs my experience.”

  
For a long pause, they are both silent. Almost against his will, Finn whispers, “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

  
Poe squeezes his hand. “Finn, look at me.” In the dark, Finn can’t read his expression. “No matter what happens, I will always come back to you.”

  
Something in Finn’s chest tightens. “You don’t know that.”

  
“I never make promises I can’t keep.” Poe’s voice is serious, no trace of cockiness or teasing. Finn clings tighter, still not ready to let his pilot go.

  
A quiet beep from BB-8 signals that it’s time for Poe to get ready. He untangles himself from the blankets and pulls on the First Order issued pilot uniform. Smiling, he turns to Finn.

  
“Walk me to the hangar?”

  
Finn’s heart is thudding uncomfortably the entire way. Something about this mission feels wrong. Rey insists he has some level of Force sensitivity. The overwhelming sense foreboding makes him hope she is mistaken.

  
“Hey,” Poe interrupts his train of thought. They have reached the hangar, where the TIE fighter crouches like an ugly predator. “I can feel you worrying.”

  
Finn sighs, letting Poe pull him close. His gaze is intense but Finn can’t bring himself to look away. Poe cups his chin, smoothing his thumb along his jaw. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll be back before you can miss me.”

  
Finn is going to make a comment, probably something sappy about missing him already, but Poe’s lips cut him off. The kiss is tender and earnest, like a continuation of his earlier promise. And for a moment, Finn believes him.

  
A loud whistle makes them jump. Finn looks over Poe’s shoulder to see a small crowd consisting of Poe’s squadron and Rey.

  
Poe groans. “This is supposed to be a _secret_ mission. Otherwise I wouldn’t have dragged my kriffin’ ass out of bed at 0300.”

  
“Didn’t you know? You can’t keep a secret from a Jedi.” Jess is grinning like mad and Rey has the decency to look embarrassed.

  
Snap pushes past the two women and gives Poe a once over, taking in the First Order uniform. “Gotta say, evil looks good on you.” He claps Poe on the shoulder.

  
Jess goes in for a hug and, after a moment, Rey does too. She lets go with a quiet, “Take care of yourself, Poe.”

  
All unsettling thoughts aside, Finn can’t help but smile at the two most important people in his life finally getting along. It had been a rough start (really, it was impossible to tell which one was the better pilot) but now they had settled into an easy camaraderie.

  
“Look after Bee for me, okay?” Poe directs his question to Finn, who rolls his eyes.

  
“Everyone knows Beebee-Ate likes Rey better.”

  
The group laughs and Poe swings himself into the TIE fighter.

  
“Poe?” Finn hesitates. It might be a little early in their relationship for an ‘I love you,’ but Finn can feel the words sitting heavy on his tongue.

  
The look on Poe’s face says he knows what is going through the ex-Stormtrooper’s head. “Remember what I said.”

  
Finn nods and steps back to join the squadron and Rey. Together, they watch as the best pilot in the Resistance takes to the skies in a stolen First Order fighter.

 

* * *

  
Leia has a hard time remembering when she last enjoyed doing her job. Maybe when she was young, caught up in the belief that light would prevail over darkness. Now, she is war-weary. She has seen too much death and betrayal.

  
Today is no different. It might even be worse. As General, Leia tends to leave the informing next of kin business to others, but this is one she has to do herself. It is only right that he hears from her.

  
She finds Rey and Finn in the mess hall. Rey is regaling the ex-Stormtrooper with a story about her training with Luke. Leia sees the way Finn laughs, as if he hasn’t a care in the world. She wonders if he will ever laugh like that again.

  
“Finn?” He looks up, still smiling. “Take a walk with me?”

  
“Yes, ma’am.”

  
She knows he is hoping for news about Poe. It has been almost two weeks since the pilot’s departure. The mission was classified, but Finn has an uncanny way of knowing things. Yet again, she wonders if he has ever been tested for Force sensitivity.

  
They reach the outer wall of the base. Leia loves this planet. It is beautiful. But today, the beauty is marred.

  
“Ma’am, is this about Poe?”

  
Leia takes a deep breath. Things like this never get easier. “Finn.” Now she wishes she had done this in her office. That way she could ask him to sit down.

  
The young man is already shaking his head. Leia steels herself.

  
“Commander Dameron’s fighter was shot down as it entered atmosphere above the First Order base.”

  
Finn looks like he is waiting for a punchline. She presses on. “There was no sign of ejection from the craft. It has been two weeks. We are declaring Commander Dameron killed in action.”

  
There is no reaction from the ex-Stormtrooper. Leia knows he is in shock. She has been in that position, with Han most recently. Bitterness washes over her. These two men should have had many long years together, instead of a few short weeks. Leia has seen what war does to families and she is tired of it.

  
Finn finally meets her eyes. “Thank you, General. But Poe isn’t dead.” He leaves her, walking back in the direction of the base.

  
Leia watches him go, not sure what else to do. Poe Dameron’s life-force is absent. She may not have felt the exact moment when he died, but he was definitely gone.

 

* * *

  
It has been a week since the General broke the news to the entire base. Poe’s pilot friends are still mourning and Rey is too. On Jakku, she hadn’t been close to the other scavengers, but here she has friends. And sometimes caring about others is more painful than having no one at all.

  
Which brings Rey to her current predicament: looking for Finn. She knows where he is, but she checks his room and then Poe’s room first. Deep down, she knows that she is avoiding the problem. It isn’t helping, but she is at a loss for what to do.

  
Finn is exactly where he had been for the past week, sitting in the hangar. She knows that he is in denial, she can sense it through the Force. BB-8 hasn’t left Finn’s side and Rey can’t decide if the droid is there out of loyalty to Poe or if it thinks Finn is its new master.

  
“Hey Finn,” Rey drops beside her friend. “You should come in. It’s getting late.”

  
BB-8 bumps against Finn’s leg, beeping in agreement.

  
Finn doesn’t respond, doesn’t take his eyes off of the stars. He hasn’t spoken since that day, when he told the General that Poe was still alive. Rey wants to believe it, for Finn’s sake, but she knows that Poe’s life-force is missing. She can’t feel it. And that means only one thing.

  
“Finn, please come inside. Get some sleep.”

  
Rey wasn’t really expecting a response, but she still feels disappointed. Master Luke said not to let her emotions guide her, but Rey isn’t sure she can keep this up for much longer.

  
“Finn,” her voice is desperate. “This isn’t what Poe wanted. He loved you.”

  
She feels him stiffen, knows that he caught on to the past tense.

  
“Kriff, Finn.” Her voice is rising. “You know I want him to be alive. For his sake and for yours. He was my friend, Finn. But you are my friend too and I can’t let you do this.”

  
Rey can hardly see through the tears in her eyes. Finn is pointedly looking away from her, his jaw clenched.

  
She takes a deep breath. “I can’t feel him Finn. He’s gone.” Her voice is choked, the next great Jedi warrior seconds away from breaking down.

  
Finn’s fists clench at his side. “He’s coming back.” His voice was rough from disuse. “He has to come back. He promised.” Shoulders sagging, Finn looks defeated.

  
Rey wraps her arms around him, glad that her friend is speaking and heartbroken at the same time. She can sense his turmoil, hope and fear and anger pent up inside.

* * *

  
Leia is sitting at a holotable, looking over the intelligence they have amassed on the First Order. Poe’s mission had failed and it wasn’t just a loss of an opportunity, it was the loss of someone who was important to the Resistance’s morale. Everyone on base seems disheartened at the loss of the so called ‘poster boy.’

  
A knock at the door draws her from her thoughts.

  
“Come in.”

  
Finn steps into the room. “General, I have a mission proposal.”

  
“Finn…” Just yesterday, it looked like the young man was never going to leave the hangar. Yet here he is, standing tall and dressed sharply.

  
“Hear me out,” he interrupts, then as an afterthought adds, “please.”

  
Leia sighs and gestures at him to continue.

  
“Someone needs to gather intelligence on the new First Order base.”

  
It is true, but they’ve already botched their only infiltration plan. “We don’t have another TIE fighter lying around.”

  
Finn nods as if he was anticipating this catch. “Rey picked up an unmarked cruiser with a similar radar profile. As long as they don’t get a look at us before we land it should be good enough.”

  
“It is too dangerous, Finn.” After Poe, the council agreed not to send any more soldiers on suicide missions. The Resistance is short on bodies and there is always the possibility of the monster who used to be her son extracting information from prisoners.

  
“No.” Finn looks determined. “We need the intel to plan our next move. And as a former member of the First Order, I am your best bet for getting in.”

  
Leia sighs. Everything he said is true. And he hasn’t mentioned anything about Poe. “You need a pilot.”

  
An odd expression passes over Finn’s eyes. Leia can feel his pain and regret intensify. Was it something she said?

  
“Yes, ma’am.” The ex-Stormtrooper’s face is impassive again as he turns to leave the room.

  
Leia goes back to the holotable.

  
Fifteen minutes later, Rey bursts into the room. There are alarmed shouts following her from the corridor.

  
“General, with all due respect, you can’t let Finn go out into the field.” She is slightly out of breath, fury pulsing through every line of her body.

  
Leia blinks at the intensity of Rey’s anger and concern. “Finn is the one who proposed the mission.”

  
“He is still in denial. He hasn’t gotten it through his head that Poe is dead and he is not coming back.”

  
“Rey, I know.” Leia feels years of pain and exhaustion settle on her heart.

  
The young Jedi stops her restless pacing and looks contrite.

  
Leia continues. “I agree with you, but there are no other options. We are short on personnel as it is.” She sighs. “Finn is the only one willing to go on a suicide mission.”

  
The fire in Rey’s eyes would make even Kylo Ren quake in his boots. “I’m not going to let anything happen to him.”

  
“Rey?” The girl turns. “May the Force be with you.”

  
“Thank you, ma’am.”

* * *

  
Once they are on the ground, Finn breathes easier. Even as a Stormtrooper, he had been unusually observant and knows several ways to get into the base. Getting out might be a bit trickier, but they will worry about that later.

  
Rey and BB-8 slip into the base first, with Finn close behind. He is decked out in the white armor he loathes, but it is all part of their plan. Rey and BB-8 will secure the intel while Finn finds an escape route to get them back to the cruiser. Hopefully they can slip away without the First Order even knowing they were here.

  
Finn turns and strides down a side corridor, scouting for possible ways to reach the outside. He is standing in front of an air vent, studying the bolts used to weld it to the wall when he hears voices. Three troopers are around the corner, standing guard outside a heavy door. Finn strains to hear their conversation.

  
“….Resistance scum.”

  
“If he doesn’t break soon, we will have to tell the General we’ve been holding a prisoner without his knowledge.”

  
“Has the Sith seen him yet?” Kylo. They must be talking about Kylo Ren. Finn’s blood runs cold.

  
“The prisoner is here under his orders.” He wonders if he should alert Rey. But surely she would have felt the presence of another Force wielder before they landed.

  
“Somehow this one manages to block all of his attempts.”

  
Finn freezes, forgetting to breathe. There is only one non-Jedi he knows who can do that. Luke had taught Poe to evade Force mind tricks after his capture.

  
Finn walks to the troopers, body moving before he has even come up with a plan. He wonders if he knows them. “I am here to see the prisoner.”

  
“Oh, are you the one Twenty called in?”

  
Finn has never heard of a Twenty, so these soldiers probably aren’t from his old division. He finds himself responding, “Yes.”

  
“Hopefully you have better luck than we did. I don’t want to break the news to General Hux that his Sith pet is making decisions without him.”

  
One of the other guys nods as empathetically as a Stormtrooper can.

  
The third is unlocking the door, swinging it in so it squeals on its hinges. He gestures at Finn, who pulls out his blaster. There are three bodies on the floor before the Stormtroopers register what is happening. Finn feels cold. There is no feeling of regret following his actions. But if they hurt Poe they deserve so much more than just death.

  
The man in the cell is almost unrecognizable. Finn pulls off his helmet.

  
“Hey there, hey, please don’t be dead.” He releases the restraints around the prisoner’s wrists and ankles. “Poe. Poe. Please don’t be dead.”

  
The man lies there, unmoving. Finn starts to panic. “Come on. I love you. You can’t be dead.”

  
Poe’s eyes flutter open. “Finn?”

  
“Poe!” Finn almost sobs in relief. “Poe I’m here.”

  
He directs all of his thoughts toward Rey, telling her where they are, the state Poe is in, the fact that they are probably going to have to fight their way out. This is a rescue mission now. He feels her surprise and elation in response, along with a mental image of the ship bay.

  
Poe is looking at him, but his eyes are unfocused. “You aren’t real,” he mutters, sounding confused. Finn is ready to tear every First Order operative limb from limb.

  
“I am very real. You promised me you would come back you bastard.”

  
Poe stares off over Finn’s shoulder, not listening. “Finn isn’t coming. He thinks I am dead.”

  
Finn ends up half carrying him to the ship bay, hoping Rey will meet them there. Poe’s weakness is alarming. He wonders again if Kylo Ren is on the planet. If he is, then he probably already knows they are there.

  
They are almost there when Finn hears blaster fire. “Kriff.” He leans against the wall, supporting Poe’s weight on one side while he tries to sneak a glance through the doorway.

  
Rey is there, lightsaber out, blades glowing blue against the surrounding red and black. She’s holding a group of troopers back. Behind her, a transporter is going through the pre-flight sequence.

  
Then, Finn hears her voice in his mind. _Get on the ship._ He doesn’t need to be told twice.

  
“Poe?” The pilot looks at him. Maybe the blaster fire is making him more lucid. “I’m going to need you to run.”

  
Poe nods and Finn takes off, tugging him toward the transporter. Rey stays back, blocking the hail of red with her lightsaber and her mind. Finn doesn’t have the time to be impressed, but _kriff_ is she good.

  
BB-8 is already on board, communicating with the ship’s computer. Poe’s staggering from their short sprint.

  
“Hey, Poe, can you sit here for me?” Finn gestures at the seat closest to the gunner’s position. Poe slumps into it and Finn buckles him in.

  
“Hang in there. We’re gonna get you home.”

  
Poe looks at him, confused. “Finn?”

  
“Yeah, buddy. I came back for you.”

  
The pilot grins. “I told them you would.”

  
Finn wants to kiss him, but now is probably not the best time. So he pats Poe on the shoulder and heads to his post.

  
He is already in the gunner’s chair, hands on the controls when Rey falls back. She runs at the transporter, shouting “Close the door!”

  
BB-8 gets the ship to pull the ramp before the Stormtroopers reach them. Rey vaults over the pilot’s seat, getting them off the ground. Finn covers their escape, shooting anything that tries to follow them.

  
Once he is sure they’ve lost their pursuers, he jumps down from his post. Rey is in the pilot’s seat, swearing at the controls. The transporter wasn’t meant for one person to fly. When Finn moves to help, she glares. “Stay with him. Bee and I’ve got this.”

  
Finn nods and heads back. He sheds the rest of the white body armor and sinks into the seat beside Poe. Kriff, he had forgotten how uncomfortable these transporters were. Next to him, the older man is barely conscious.

  
Almost automatically, he reaches for Poe’s hand. Poe stares at it as if he’s trying to decipher a puzzle.

  
“Can we go back to traditional torture?”

  
“What?”

  
“You look just like Finn.”

  
Finn sighs, knowing there is no use arguing.

  
“He is a better man than any of you lot,” Poe manages to mutter, before slipping back into unconsciousness.

  
Finn doesn’t know what to think, so he tightens his hold on Poe’s hand, smoothing his thumb over the roughened skin of his wrist.

* * *

  
“General, there is an unidentified ship approaching atmosphere. Please recommend a course of action.”

  
Leia moves to look at the display. Sure enough, a small blip is almost within the base’s airspace. “Have they made contact?”

  
“No ma'am.”

  
Before she can give the order to engage the aircraft, a familiar voice crackles on one of the secure channels. “…base this is…coms system…fritz…permission to land…”

  
The relief Leia feels is almost physical. There are only two droids capable of hacking into the Resistance’s communications systems and Artoo is currently in the corner insulting Threepio. That leaves BB-8.

  
Meanwhile, Rey is still talking. “…prisoner…bad shape…” There might be a hysterical note in her voice, but with the static on the line, it is impossible to know for sure.

  
Leia reaches out with the Force. Concentrating, she extracts her mind from the bustle of the base and stretches skyward. The ship is easy to locate, varied emotions rolling off of the two conscious members. The third occupant’s life-force is weak, but Leia would know it anywhere.

  
“General?”

  
The voice brings Leia’s consciousness back to the command room. She turns to the officer. “Do not engage. Have a medical team meet them when they land.”

  
“Yes ma’am.”

  
She barely hears the response, already out of the command room and heading toward the medical bay. The remaining members of Poe’s squadron are walking in the direction of the mess. They move out of the way and nod, murmuring respectful greetings.

  
Leia makes a split second decision. “Pava, Wexley, Kun, Arana, with me.”

  
The four pilots look surprised. Pava falls in line first “Yes ma’am.”

  
They are almost at the med bay when Leia drops the proverbial bomb. “Your commander made it home. Alive.”

  
She is greeted with stunned silence, then a muffled “Son of a bitch.”

* * *

Poe feels like a drowning victim, struggling to break free from the depths of his mind. When he finally manages to drag his eyelids open, his gaze lands on the sleeping face of Finn. He is sprawled out on the chair that Poe knows is probably the most uncomfortable seat in the whole base. Poe has spent a lot of time sitting in it.

  
BB-8 is at his side in sleep mode, resting its head against Finn’s leg. Poe watches him breathe, wanting so much to believe that this is real. Except he thinks it might be. He can’t remember feeling so kriffin’ sore in his hallucinations.

  
And it’s true. Everything hurts, just like everything feels ethereal, as if he is somehow far removed from it. Finn’s hand is the only thing that seems tangible. It rests solid and warm in Poe’s, so he squeezes it gently, if only to make sure it isn’t another torture-induced dream.

  
Finn startles awake, dark eyes finding Poe’s. His surprise shifts to relief, then to worry. “Poe! Kriff, do you need me to get the doctor?”

  
Poe grins. This has to be real. “Hey, hey. I’m fine.”

  
Finn sits back, still keeping hold of Poe’s hand. They both seem uncertain of what to say, so Poe breaks the silence first. “You didn’t think I was dead?” It’s not quite what he wanted to say but the drugs are probably to blame.

  
Finn shakes his head vehemently. “Never. Though Kylo must’ve hidden you from Rey and Leia.”

  
It must have been a terrible ordeal, thinking Poe was alive while even the Jedi said he was gone. Poe squeezes his hand again, wanting to apologize for everything, but the words stick in his throat. Instead, he manages, “Thank you for not giving up hope.”

  
Finn looks down, tears falling for the first time since this whole ordeal started almost a month ago “Kriff, Poe. I thought I’d never see you again.”

  
Poe waits for him to meet his eyes. “I never make promises I can’t keep.”


End file.
